The Nigerian Senate has summoned the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to provide explanations regarding the increasing use of harmful chemicals by fruit sellers to artificially ripen fruits across the country. This action follows a motion sponsored by Senator Anthony Ani, titled “Urgent need to investigate and halt the continuous unwholesome practice of chemical ripening of fruits in Nigeria.”

Senator Ani lamented that the natural physiological process of fruit ripening, which enhances sweetness, taste, and nutrition, is being dangerously substituted by the use of harmful chemicals to make fruits look more attractive and ripen faster. He noted that while some fruit sellers use relatively safe substances like ethylene and methyl jasmonate, many others rely on cheaper, hazardous alternatives such as calcium carbide, ethylene glycol, and ethephon.

These substances contain impurities, including arsenic and lead. Experts and regulatory agencies have warned that these chemicals can cause serious health problems, such as cancer, kidney and liver failure, neurological disorders, and even death. The practice is reportedly on the rise in Nigeria, driven by profit motives among fruit sellers who may be unaware of the health hazards. Consequently, consumers are unknowingly buying poison disguised as appealing fruits.

Many of these chemicals have been banned in other countries but continue to be used indiscriminately in Nigeria. There is an urgent need to protect public health by ensuring that fruit markets are not turned into toxic zones. The Senate, in adopting the motion, has called on NAFDAC, the Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security, and the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) to investigate the practice of chemical ripening of fruits in Nigeria.

Lawmakers have urged NAFDAC, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), and relevant ministries to intensify public sensitization and education on the hazardous effects of consuming artificially ripened fruits. The Senate further urged the Nigeria Agricultural Quarantine Service and the Nigerian Customs Service to ensure that imported fruits, especially apples, are not preserved with harmful substances before reaching Nigerian markets.

Additionally, NAFDAC and FCCPC are tasked with carrying out regular visits to fruit markets across the country to inspect and curb the use of dangerous chemicals in fruit ripening. To strengthen regulatory enforcement, the Senate has directed its Committee on Legal Matters to begin amending relevant laws to recommend stiffer penalties for perpetrators of such acts. The upper chamber has mandated its Committees on Health and Agriculture to summon NAFDAC to brief the Senate on its efforts to stop the practice and the measures it intends to implement to ensure its cessation.

Senator Okorie, presenting the motion, emphasized that fruit ripening should naturally improve sweetness, texture, and nutritional content. However, many vendors now use harmful agents to force the process for commercial gains. He highlighted the use of calcium carbide, ethephon, and ethylene glycol, chemicals with toxic residues, including lead and arsenic, as particularly problematic. These substances are known to cause severe health problems such as cancer, kidney damage, liver failure, neurological disorders, and death.

Okorle attributed the practice's spread to profit-driven motives and a lack of awareness among vendors. He also criticized the failure of regulatory enforcement, noting that while many countries have outlawed such chemicals, Nigeria lags in implementing effective measures.